After a day and night of romance, Li Xuan didn't get up until the next day.

Both women looked more radiant and beautiful.

Changli combed Li Xuan's hair neatly and trimmed his beard.

Li Xuan's beard is very short and looks neat and tidy.

Many Han people start growing beards after the age of 30, and their beards become long.

But Li Xuan didn't think so.

Many soldiers in the army followed Li Xuan's example and grew very short beards.

After changing into a light round-neck robe, Li Xuan felt relaxed as if a heavy burden had been lifted off his shoulders.

He still did not handle official business during the day. In the afternoon, there was a banquet held in the palace of Kucha, where Bai Ba, the king of Kucha, welcomed Li Xuan's triumphant return.

Other kings, Tang officials, and generals in Qiuci City were all allowed to attend the banquet.

"My husband, Xue Cuo has been sending some gold, silver and jewelry to the mansion these past two years, saying it was your idea."

Changli just remembered this incident and told Li Xuan about Xue Cuo's behavior.

They were also very curious. Apart from the rewards from the saints and the salaries of the nobles, their husbands had never placed any gold, silver or jewelry in the inner palace that should not have been there.

And my husband never accepts gifts from dignitaries.

"It's my order. Just keep it safe and don't spread it out."

Li Xuan said seriously.

The first time Luo Xing and Xue Cuo missed the war was because they were helping Li Xuan "make money" through trade.

In Xizhou, Luo Xing cooperated with Li Shu in purchasing silk, porcelain, tea and other items from Liangzhou City.

After being transported back to the Western Regions, Xue Cuo would sell it to merchants in Anxi Beiting and make a profit from the difference.

Since Li Xuan was in control from beginning to end, most of the profits were embezzled by Li Xuan.

Now that the Hexi Corridor has been reopened, his business will become more and more prosperous and he will make a lot of money every day.

Li Xuan obtained a large amount of spoils and cheated Abu Jalfar Abbas of a large sum of money, but once the rebellion started, gold, silver and jewelry would be a bottomless pit. Store as much as possible.

"I understand!"

Changli and Jiang Yueyao wondered if their husbands had become corrupt officials.

I don’t know what to feel in my heart.

No matter what, they are Li Xuan's women and will do what they want. They use the saying that no one is perfect to convince themselves.

Li Xuan has not confessed to them yet.

Those who steal the hook will be punished, and those who steal the country will be martyred.

He didn't like the way this statement sounded, it sounded like some criminal making up his mind, but that was exactly what he was doing.

In the morning, Li Xuan played the piano in the courtyard, Jiang Yueyao played the pipa beside him, and Changli danced the Quetazhi dance for Li Xuan.

The dance steps are light and pleasing to the eye.

Li Xuan cherishes every moment spent with her family.

Not long after, Xue Cuo came to visit Li Xuan and report to him the progress of the corruption.

"Li Shuai, it seems Yan Zhenqing has been targeting me recently?"

After reporting the amount of embezzlement, Xue Cuo said this.

They are Marshal Li's registered personal guards, and they usually act arrogantly in the Anxi Beiting.

No matter which country they passed through or which road they took, no one dared to check or stop their team.

When they entered the city of Qiuci, the palace guards and the soldiers defending the city would immediately let them pass as soon as they saw that they were working for the Heavenly General.

Then they could easily transport the embezzled gold, silver and jewelry to the inner courtyard of the Grand Protectorate.

Xue Cuo was appointed as an inspector by Li Xuan, in charge of the sale of silk, tea and porcelain.

But the profits handed over to the Anxi Protectorate each time were very small.

Over time, Yan Zhenqing naturally became suspicious.

When Li Xuan and Feng Changqing discussed this route, their purpose was to increase the finances of the Anxi Protectorate and support the tens of thousands of additional troops in Anxi.

Yan Zhenqing thought that earning too little was not right.

When he wanted to check the accounts, Xue Cuo was vague and refused to give him the account books.

If Yan Zhenqing had military power, he would have definitely seized Xue Cuo's vehicle directly.

Yan Zhenqing was the judge of the Anxi Jinglüe Ambassador, while the military power belonged to the Jiedu Ambassador.

The guards of the Kingdom of Kucha would not dare to stop Xue Cuo even if they had the guts.

Everyone knew that Xue Cuo had followed Li Xuan since he was in Feng'an Army and had fought in hundreds of battles. According to his military achievements, it would be no problem for him to be promoted to general.

But the fact is, Xue Cuo is not even a ninth-rank official.

No one understood Li Xuan's intentions, they only knew that Luo Xing and Xue Cuo were Li Xuan's right-hand men. The kings had to be respectful to them.

"Don't worry too much, just do your job well. When I take power in the future, you will definitely be a great general."

Li Xuan patted Xue Cuo on the shoulder. As long as he gave a slight gesture, Xue Cuo would be able to move forward smoothly.

In fact, there is no difference between these gold, silver and jewelry entering his private vault and entering the Anxi Protectorate.

The only worry was that there were too much gold, silver, jewelry, silk and money in the treasury, and that the officials of Anxi and the eunuchs headed by Bian Lingcheng would report them.

Therefore, Li Xuan did not let Che Guangqian and Hun Yu take the gold, silver, jewelry, gold coins and silver coins worth two million pieces of silk back to Qiuci City, but instead built a treasury in the north of Suiye City.

It was guarded by 5,000 infantry and cavalry of the Jinglüe Army led by Che Guangqian.

The entire process was carried out in secret and was led by Liu Dan. Even the other subordinates were unaware of it, let alone Bian Lingcheng, who had only a few small eunuchs under his command.

From beginning to end, Bian Lingcheng could only look at the gold, silver, jewelry and vehicles from afar.

The rest of the spoils have already been delivered to the Anxi Jiedushi's treasury.

Soon after, some of it would be taken out and transported to Chang'an to show loyalty to Li Longji.

"I will never give up even if I die!"

Xue Cuo was not good at speaking and could only utter these four words heavily.

Li Shuai is obviously not a greedy person.

If you are greedy, it means you are planning to do something big.

Xue Cuo had guessed this result, and he firmly believed that Li Shuai would succeed.

Li Xuan also sent fifty personal guards to Xue Cuo to follow him. This was his attitude.

In the afternoon, Li Xuan attended a banquet. He was the protagonist of the banquet. As a king, he also had to pay his respects and ask questions. The banquet ended in a happy mood.

The next day.

"Grand Protector, there's something wrong with your former personal guard, now the inspector of the Protectorate, Xue Cuo!"

When Li Xuan went to the Grand Protectorate to handle affairs, Yan Zhenqing could not help asking Li Xuan about this matter. He suspected that Xue Cuo had taken advantage of his status to embezzle the money of the business.

"What Xue Cuo did is not harmful to the world, so what's wrong with it?"

Li Xuan looked at Yan Zhenqing and said.

"But as far as I know, Xuecuo's transaction amount is huge, silk and tea should not have such a profit."

Yan Zhenqing didn't understand Li Xuan's meaning and continued.

"I will lead the army to war. If you want to embezzle, millions of gold will be within your reach!"

Li Xuan said lightly.

Just like the treasure house he built in the north of Suiye City, no one knew about it.

In the early Tang Dynasty, whenever a general led troops outside, even Li Jing, he would be impeached by civil officials for corruption, allowing his troops to plunder, etc.

But during the Tianbao period, the emergence of Jiedushi, civil officials became the Jiedushi's staff, and coupled with the bribery of eunuchs, there were almost no cases of Jiedushi's corruption and bribery.

"That's not what I meant. I just found something fishy and I can't help but speak out. I can't betray the trust of the Grand Protector."

Yan Zhenqing quickly stood up and bowed. He had never doubted Li Xuan.

"I will keep an eye on Xue Cuo's matter, Qingchen, don't worry too much."

After hearing Yan Zhenqing's words, Li Xuan pondered for a while.

Sometimes, Li Xuan felt that it was not a good thing to bring Yan Zhenqing, as well as Yan Gaoqing and Yan Jiming, father and son, to his side.

During the Anshi Rebellion, they would rather die than surrender.

But then again, it was precisely because of their heroic spirit of preferring death to surrender that Li Xuan felt sorry for them and made important use of them.

Li Xuan prefers people who know how to adapt, such as Li Mi and Li Xian.

He was confident that even if he risked the wrath of the world, he would be able to persuade Li Xian to work for him.

Yan Zhenqing hesitated to speak, and although he no longer mentioned the matter, his heart became heavy.

He suddenly discovered that Li Xuan's temperament had changed. From being introverted before, he became sharp.

"On August 1, I will set off for Chang'an. After I leave, take out gold, silver and jewelry worth 500,000 rolls of silk from the warehouse of Anxi Protectorate and transport them to Xizhou, and then transport them to Chang'an from Xizhou."

Li Xuan instructed Yan Zhenqing to make preparations in advance.

"The gold, silver and jewels in the Anxi treasury are worth at least 1.5 million pieces of silk, and there are also countless treasures..."

What Yan Zhenqing wanted to say was that according to the system, one tenth of these spoils could be kept as a reward for the army, and the rest would be transported back to Chang'an.

After all, the saint issued an edict to reward the army with silk and money, which was more than all these gold, silver and jewelry.

"At present, the Anxi Army alone has 54,000 soldiers and horses, and they need to support themselves with military expenses and purchase grain."

Li Xuan gave this explanation.

"Follow your orders, and I will send someone to cooperate with Qingchen at that time."

Li Xuan saw that Yan Zhenqing was about to say something, so he interrupted him.

He would report to Li Longji that a total of 600,000 rolls of silk, gold, silver and jewelry were obtained, and 500,000 were presented to the saint.

Li Longji had no idea about the wealth of West Asia, so he certainly wouldn't worry too much.

"As ordered!"

Yan Zhenqing took the order and became even more worried. So much so that he was absent-minded in the following conversation with Li Xuan.

"My trust in Xue Cuo is the same as my trust in Qing Chen."

When Yan Zhenqing was about to leave, Li Xuan spoke to him from behind with deep earnest words.

Yan Zhenqing turned around, bowed and left.

At this time, the soldiers who had won the Leaping Medal and the Warrior Medal in the Western Expedition had all arrived in Qiuci City.

These medals had already been sent to Kucha, but the silk and money rewards would take some time to arrive.

Li Xuan awarded medals to the Jinglüe Army, the Qiuci Army and other troops one by one in front of them, encouraging these brave soldiers to keep up the good work.

The soldiers' eyes were burning, and each of them hoped that they would be the ones to receive the medal awarded by Marshal Li next time.

The soldiers who received the medals were eager to receive them again next time, or even to reach a higher level.

Another group were new recruits who were greatly encouraged by the awarding ceremony.

Those soldiers who received medals could also get gold, and at the very least they would become escorts. A large number of them would become yamen generals and Lang generals from deputy team leaders, and some would become deputy generals and main generals, such as Ma Lin, Wei Boyu, Hao Tingyu, Lai Zhen, Lu Jing, Lun Weizhen and so on.

Under Li Xuan's command, as long as you have made achievements, you will be reused.

Every military achievement will be recorded by the military commander and settled after the war.

"How do soldiers defeat the enemy?"

After reviewing the army, Li Xuan asked the generals around him.

Around him were generals such as Che Shensai, Li Siye, Zhang Xing, Hun Yu, Bai Xiaode, Lai Chen, Wei Boyu, Tian Zhen, as well as subordinates such as Yan Zhenqing, Cen Shen, Liu Tiao, Wang Tao, and Yan Jiming.

The other generals promoted by Li Xuan were all in Yanqi, Khotan, Suiye and other places.

The army was firmly under his control.

"Replying to General Li, it is courage and strategy!"

Li Siye replied to Li Xuan.

The other generals all thought it made sense, as Li Shuai's military prowess was unprecedented in history, so it was not the most important factor.

"Bravery and strategy can only win a small victory, not a big one."

Li Xuan shook his head and answered as he looked at the soldiers who were standing upright with high morale.

"General Li, please forgive me for being blunt. Didn't you personally lead the Western Expedition this time and achieve a great victory by relying on your bravery and strategy?"

Li Siye expressed the doubts in his mind.

"There are greater victories than the achievements of the Western Expedition! Only an army full of a sense of honor, mission, and discipline can win the final victory. Those who are brave and strategic will also fail here."

Li Xuan answered slowly.

As long as his army possesses these three points, it will be able to conquer the world. But at present, he has only grasped the basics.

"I am stupid!"

Li Siye bowed, he couldn't figure it out.

But at this moment, Yan Zhenqing was so shocked that he couldn't help but think about it.

Cen Shen and others were just thinking about the meaning of this sentence.

"Alas! You are just like my subordinates in Helong. You clearly have the ability of a military governor, but you can only be inferior to me, not even a deputy governor."

"The An Lushan of the Northeast was just a clown, but he held the post of Jiedushi of three towns. Ten years later, An Lushan was beaten by the Xi and Khitan at Tuhuzhenshui and fled in panic, but he was not punished."

"There is also Xianyu Zhongtong from Jiannan, who provoked a war for no reason and was badly defeated by Nanzhao, but he was able to return to Chang'an to serve as the Minister of War."

Li Xuan didn't say it explicitly, but his next words became filled with righteous indignation.

After hearing what Li Xuan said, generals such as Che Shensai, Li Siye, Bai Xiaode, Wei Boyu, and Hao Tingyu were indeed indignant.

Because Li Xuan was telling the truth.

Everyone knows that An Lushan was favored by the saint because of his flattery and fawning.

Li Xuan was once the governor of four towns, controlling a vast territory, but no one disobeyed him. That was due to his real military achievements.

But why was An Lushan appointed as the governor of three towns, and in the eighth year of Tianbao, was he worthy of being conferred the title of prince like General Li?
There was also Xianyu Zhongtong, who had never made any achievements but relied on Yang Guozhong to rise from a small official to the governor of Jiannan.

These generals fought hard over thousands of miles to achieve this status.

"Don't think too much. I just feel sorry for you. It's a pity that I'm not the prime minister anymore. I can't promote you like I promoted Geshu Han, Wang Nandi, and An Sishun."

When the generals were in mixed emotions, Li Xuan said this again.

"Following General Li in battle is one of the greatest pleasures in life. Even if we are just soldiers, we have no regrets. We believe that General Li will definitely become the prime minister again and hold the highest position among the ministers!"

Che Shen Sai bowed to Li Xuan and said.

Then they remembered that Li Shuai had already reached the peak.

"I can't go back. The sage doesn't allow me to reform, the great families and ministers oppose my reform, and the powerful and the local people resist my reform."

Li Xuan sighed and said, "But I am afraid that the Tang Dynasty will be in a state of decline and I have no choice but to seek change. It is my long-cherished wish to ensure that the people have enough food and clothing and that the soldiers do not have to worry about their families when they are on expeditions."

"The world is in a state of flux. Li Shuai will surely be able to return to Chang'an and clear up the world. We all support Li Shuai."

As soon as Li Xuan finished speaking, Li Siye shouted loudly.

He was from Chang'an, and his family was rich peasants created during the Kaiyuan Period of Prosperity.

But since the Tianbao period, the family has obviously not been as well off as before. Fortunately, he was born brave and strong, which made the family rich and prosperous.

He knew clearly that General Li's method was for the sake of the common people and infringed upon the interests of the powerful families, which aroused their opposition.

In the past, Li Siye always thought that he was the bravest in the Tang Dynasty and was very proud of his martial arts. Even the Mo Dao he used had to be bigger and heavier.

It was also Li Xuan who made him realize that there is always someone better.

His Mo Dao was no match for General Li's iron spear.

People say that Li Shuai is the reincarnation of Overlord, but if Overlord had Li Shuai's courage and wisdom, why would he commit suicide at the Wujiang River?
Li Siye did not respect either Meng Lingzhe or Gao Xianzhi, but Li Xuan, in a short period of time, made Li Siye admire him to the core.

His loyalty to Li Xuan was not Li Xuan's promotion of him.

Li Siye has his own pursuits.

In pursuit of bravery on the battlefield, he can even go into battle shirtless.

In the pursuit of justice in private, he could use the rewards for military merit as military expenses.

"Qiang!"

"If there are treacherous people who want to stop General Li from becoming Prime Minister, I will definitely not agree to it."

The god of chariots also drew his sword, ready to purge the emperor's followers if there was any disagreement.

He left his hometown and went to Taiyuan because he killed a Hu man who bullied the Han people with one punch on the street.

It was General Li who treated the wise and humble with respect. He wrote a letter to let him return home, and promoted him step by step until he became the general of the imperial guards. This time, he was even conferred the title of county marquis, which could be regarded as a title of marquis and a general.

Being just one step away from becoming a general was not what he was after. He supported Li Shuai in fulfilling his political ambitions.

He and his son Che Guangqian are willing to sacrifice their lives for Li Shuai.

"General Li, the soldiers of the Jinglüe Army are your loyal subordinates and are ready to fight alongside you at any time."

The newly appointed ambassador of the Jinglüe Army, Zhang Xing, also said with a blushing face.

He couldn't bear to see Li Shuai being wronged.

Why do those clowns dare to show off their power over Li Shuai?

Zhang Xing's family had already been brought from Hebei to Longyou by him, and then went with him to Qiuci. He had no worries.

"Don't think too much about it. I'll give it one more try and see if there's a chance I can help the world."

Li Xuan raised his hand and asked them to stop talking nonsense.

However, the more he did this, the more anxious his generals became.

They felt that the sky was blind.

Everyone in Anxi had heard about Yang Guozhong.

This guy actually replaced Li Shuai and became the chief prime minister?

The more I think about it, the angrier I get!
But Li Xuan did not listen to them and ordered the marching Sima Wang Tao to slaughter the fat sheep and reward the whole army. He also took out the fine wine.

After the banquet, the soldiers who received medals had to return to their respective armies.

At the banquet, Li Siye danced the Hu dance. His tall body looked like a tiger, with a kind of majestic beauty.

Li Xuan was also generous. He played the pipa in the army, and the piece he was most proud of was "Ten Sides of Ambush". He was worried that the soldiers far away might not be able to hear him, so he played it four or five times in succession in different directions.

Li Xuan took out distilled liquor and gave it to the soldiers to taste.

After just a few drinks, he got drunk.

The soldiers sang the loud tune "Dark clouds press down on the city, which seems to be destroyed; armor shines in the sun, and golden scales open."

This kind of sharing of joy with the soldiers made the soldiers respect Li Xuan even more.

Almost every soldier could recite a frontier poem by Li Xuan as a way to show off.

Since today, a group of ideas have been circulating in the Anxi and Beiting armies, and spread throughout the army in a short period of time.

The general meaning is that Yang Guozhong and some ministers and powerful people excluded General Li, and An Lushan slandered General Li to the sage, which made General Li depressed and frustrated, leading troops to fight in Anxi and unable to realize his ambitions.

The soldiers felt the same way and couldn't help themselves.

This night, some people are bound to get drunk, while others are bound to stay awake all night.

Time flies and it is early August.

Li Xuan bid farewell to Changli and Jiang Yueyao, and forcibly took Bian Lingcheng with him and set off back to Chang'an.

Also traveling with them were four people who had received hero medals: Li Siye, Che Shensai, Zhang Xing and Cheng Qianli.

Li Xuan only brought a hundred personal guards with him, each with four horses, and traveled light and simply, striving for speed.

But the damn eunuch Bian Lingcheng delayed Li Xuan's steps and was urged by Li Xuan all the way.

It was not until late September that they arrived in Xianyang.

Perhaps this was Li Xuan's last time returning to Chang'an as a subject.

(End of this chapter)